At some point a few decades ago, it became a widely held belief that you could be healthy - and attractive - only if you were lean. So, for much of our lives, we have gone about our business in a world obsessed with diet plans, mirrors, swimsuits and belly fat.
As it turns out, the 'overweight equals unhealthy' equation isn't quite that simple; even more shaky, particularly for mature adults, is the equation 'losing weight equals better health'.
In fact,new research shows that the drastic calorie-cutting strategies and scale-watching that slimmed jiggly thighs in your 20s, 30s or 40s can set you up for bone fractures, weak muscles and weight gain in your 50s, 60s or 70s. Even worse, those popular weight-loss approaches fail to target the belly that causes serious weight-related health problems such as diabetes and heart disease. In reality, significant weight loss - either intentional or unintentional - can be life-threatening after the age of 60.
Dieting or trying to return to an 'ideal' weight may not be best for older women, provided they're not obese. It's possible that maintaining body weight may actually keep you more robust and healthy later in life.
In one study of older women, those who maintained their weight for six years had a 13 percent chance of dying, but those who lost weight increased their risk to 22 percent. Women who had up-and-down weight swings also had eye-opening results. Scientists now think that even fairly minor weight swings - from 2 to 4 kg (5 to 81b)for a 1m 65 cm (5 ft 5in) woman - are associated with a significantly increased risk of death.So unless your waist measurement or BMI is too high (see box below), dieting the way you may have done in your 20s isn't the healthy option when you're older.
Experts aren't totally sure why weight loss cuts life short in older people. Some lose weight due to an underlying serious illness, but that's not the full story. Dropping pounds on purpose, another study shows, is risky even for the healthiest older people. When researchers from the University of California, San Diego, tracked 1,801 women and men over the age of 71 for 12 years, they found that women who lose weight were 38 percent more likely to die during the study, while men were 76 percent more likely to die.
Here's what we do know.
Losing weight means losing muscle Older adults naturally have less muscle density than in their 20s, 30s or 40s. So their metabolism slows and thus burns fewer calories during the day. Losing weight accelerates this process. If you lose 5 kg (11lb) on an old-fashioned low-cal diet, you'll drop 2.5 kg(51/2lb) of fat - and 2.5 kg (51/2lb) of muscle that you can't afford to lose, say experts. Losing that much muscle will lower your metabolism even further, so you're burning 150 to 250 fewer calories a day.
Less muscle also means you'll be weaker,
with less balance an flexibility - raising the odds for a fall.
the key Action
Eat for good nutrition and disease prevention. On that, and your weight will take care of itself.
And once your diet ends, you're likely to regain lost weight as fat. If it's around your middle, it will pump out chemicals that fire up chronic, low-level inflammation throughout your body, raising your odds of developing insulin resistance, diabetes heart disease and even Alzheimer's disease and some cancers.
Dieting threatens bones, too Many studies have shown that among older people, weight loss - whether deliberate or because of illness - leads to loss of bone mineral density. This applies especially to women around the time of menopause and afterwards, and increases their risk of sustaining a fracture during a fall.
You'll never know you've lost bone density or muscle from bathroom scales. And scales won't tell you if you have too much visceral fat - the kind packed inside your abdomen that raises the risk of diabetes and heart disease.
So, rather than eating to lose weight, focus on eating for good nutrition and disease prevention. Then get the exercise you need to build more smooth, dense, strong muscle. Plenty of dramatic studies prove that women an men as old as their late 80s an 90s who stick to a simple, safe, resistance-training programme can build strength and agility, replace puffy fat with sleek muscle, and develop a renewed zest for life.
In one landmark study conducted at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research center on Aging at Tufts University in Boston, 40 women aged 50 to 70 who swapped their non-exercising routine for a twice-a-week weight-training programme built muscle, lost fat, developed
Better than the bathroom scales
If you need a number to help you to judge whether your weight is healthy, skip the scales. Instead, try these two. (if your numbers are higher than they should be, make sure you're following a healthy-eating plan and getting regular exercise.)
-----------
Height (m)square
For example, if you weigh 70 kg and you are 1.75m tall, the formula looks like this: BMI = 70/(1.75 * 1.75) = 22.9
Less than 18.4 = underweight
18.5-24.9 = Ideal weight
25-29.9 = overweight
30-39.9 = obese
over 40 = very obese
stronger bones and became physically stronger than their daughters. They were slimmer, happier, stronger - an healthier. Yet the scales barely budged.
What if you find yourself losing weight without even trying? Do pay attention to the scales in that case - and tell your doctor. Unplanned weight loss may be a sign of nutritional deficiency, hormone imbalance, medication side effects, depression, infection or serious illness.
great advice For a comprehensive guide to healthy eating, easy exercise and smart appetite control, turn to the 'Eat to feel good' and 'Move to feel good' chapters.
As it turns out, the 'overweight equals unhealthy' equation isn't quite that simple; even more shaky, particularly for mature adults, is the equation 'losing weight equals better health'.
In fact,new research shows that the drastic calorie-cutting strategies and scale-watching that slimmed jiggly thighs in your 20s, 30s or 40s can set you up for bone fractures, weak muscles and weight gain in your 50s, 60s or 70s. Even worse, those popular weight-loss approaches fail to target the belly that causes serious weight-related health problems such as diabetes and heart disease. In reality, significant weight loss - either intentional or unintentional - can be life-threatening after the age of 60.
Dieting or trying to return to an 'ideal' weight may not be best for older women, provided they're not obese. It's possible that maintaining body weight may actually keep you more robust and healthy later in life.
In one study of older women, those who maintained their weight for six years had a 13 percent chance of dying, but those who lost weight increased their risk to 22 percent. Women who had up-and-down weight swings also had eye-opening results. Scientists now think that even fairly minor weight swings - from 2 to 4 kg (5 to 81b)for a 1m 65 cm (5 ft 5in) woman - are associated with a significantly increased risk of death.So unless your waist measurement or BMI is too high (see box below), dieting the way you may have done in your 20s isn't the healthy option when you're older.
Experts aren't totally sure why weight loss cuts life short in older people. Some lose weight due to an underlying serious illness, but that's not the full story. Dropping pounds on purpose, another study shows, is risky even for the healthiest older people. When researchers from the University of California, San Diego, tracked 1,801 women and men over the age of 71 for 12 years, they found that women who lose weight were 38 percent more likely to die during the study, while men were 76 percent more likely to die.
Here's what we do know.
Losing weight means losing muscle Older adults naturally have less muscle density than in their 20s, 30s or 40s. So their metabolism slows and thus burns fewer calories during the day. Losing weight accelerates this process. If you lose 5 kg (11lb) on an old-fashioned low-cal diet, you'll drop 2.5 kg(51/2lb) of fat - and 2.5 kg (51/2lb) of muscle that you can't afford to lose, say experts. Losing that much muscle will lower your metabolism even further, so you're burning 150 to 250 fewer calories a day.
Less muscle also means you'll be weaker,
the key Action
Eat for good nutrition and disease prevention. On that, and your weight will take care of itself.
And once your diet ends, you're likely to regain lost weight as fat. If it's around your middle, it will pump out chemicals that fire up chronic, low-level inflammation throughout your body, raising your odds of developing insulin resistance, diabetes heart disease and even Alzheimer's disease and some cancers.
Dieting threatens bones, too Many studies have shown that among older people, weight loss - whether deliberate or because of illness - leads to loss of bone mineral density. This applies especially to women around the time of menopause and afterwards, and increases their risk of sustaining a fracture during a fall.
You'll never know you've lost bone density or muscle from bathroom scales. And scales won't tell you if you have too much visceral fat - the kind packed inside your abdomen that raises the risk of diabetes and heart disease.
So, rather than eating to lose weight, focus on eating for good nutrition and disease prevention. Then get the exercise you need to build more smooth, dense, strong muscle. Plenty of dramatic studies prove that women an men as old as their late 80s an 90s who stick to a simple, safe, resistance-training programme can build strength and agility, replace puffy fat with sleek muscle, and develop a renewed zest for life.
In one landmark study conducted at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research center on Aging at Tufts University in Boston, 40 women aged 50 to 70 who swapped their non-exercising routine for a twice-a-week weight-training programme built muscle, lost fat, developed
Better than the bathroom scales
If you need a number to help you to judge whether your weight is healthy, skip the scales. Instead, try these two. (if your numbers are higher than they should be, make sure you're following a healthy-eating plan and getting regular exercise.)
- Your waist size Grab a tape measure. A waist that measures 88cm (34 1/2in) or less for women or 100cm (40in) or less for men is considered healthy. Anything higher could mean you're carrying around the type of visceral belly fat that raises your odds for diabetes and heart disease.4
- BMI (Body Mass Index) This tells you whether you are the right weight for your height. Divide your weight in kilograms (kg) by your height in metres (m) square, that is:
-----------
Height (m)square
For example, if you weigh 70 kg and you are 1.75m tall, the formula looks like this: BMI = 70/(1.75 * 1.75) = 22.9
Less than 18.4 = underweight
18.5-24.9 = Ideal weight
25-29.9 = overweight
30-39.9 = obese
over 40 = very obese
stronger bones and became physically stronger than their daughters. They were slimmer, happier, stronger - an healthier. Yet the scales barely budged.
What if you find yourself losing weight without even trying? Do pay attention to the scales in that case - and tell your doctor. Unplanned weight loss may be a sign of nutritional deficiency, hormone imbalance, medication side effects, depression, infection or serious illness.
great advice For a comprehensive guide to healthy eating, easy exercise and smart appetite control, turn to the 'Eat to feel good' and 'Move to feel good' chapters.
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